Folding box.



F. H. HOUGLAND. FOLDING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.7, 190s.

. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

lnvenbr:

i like symbols refer to like parts wherever UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. HOUGLAND, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGN OR TO ISSE SELIGSTEIN, OF ST. LOUIS,

MISSOURI. 4

FOLDING BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, .1908.

Application filed March 7, 1908. Serial N 0. 419,614.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANK H. Hono- LAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to folding boxes and has for its principal objects to secure ease in setting up the box and firmness of the walls when the box is set up, to provide a locking device which is sufficiently elastic to prevent breaking in setting up or collapsing the box and sufliciently secure to hold the box in position when set up, to secure cheapness in the manufacture of the box, and to secure other advantages hereinafter appearing.

My invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and wherein they occur, Figure l is a perspective view of a box embodying my invention with one end fully set up and the other end in an intermediate stage of thesetting-up operation; Fig. 2 is a partial plan View of the blank; Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of a box in a collapsed condition; y

The blank from which my box is made is a substantially rectangular sheet 1. The sheet 1 is scored lengthwise on two lines 2 parallel to the side edges of the blank and transversely on two lines 3 parallel to the end edges of the blank. These transverse scorings 3 extend the full width of the blank. The longitudinal scorings 2 extend from their respective points of contact 4 with one of said transverse scorings 3 to their respective points of contact 5 with the other and at distances from the respective side edges of the blank equal to the height of the box. In the same straight lines with the longitudinal scorings 2 respectively and extending from the ends thereof to the end edges of the blank are longitudinal slits 6. This system of scoring in conjunction with the longitudinal slits 6 forms at each end of the-blank two substantially rectangular corner flaps 7. Each of said corner flaps 7 has at its outer corner a small portion cut away to form a-clearance space 8. Each of said corner flaps 7 is. scored diagonally, as at 9,

from the inner corner of the inner edge of said clearance space 8 to the inner corner of the inner edge of said corner flap 7. Each of said corner flaps 7 has near its outer end a slit 1O transverse as to the blank and extending inwardly from its outer edge, there-. by forming a tongue 11. Each end portion of the blank between the longitudinal slits 6 is scored on a line parallel to the transverse scoring 3 and at a distance therefrom equal to the height of the box. These lines of scoring form flaps 12 at the ends of the box. Each of said end flaps 12 has two slits 13 longitudinal with respect thereto and so located thereon as to be in position to re- .ceive the locking tongues 11 on the corner flaDs when the blank is folded.

In order to set up the box, the sides and ends are bent up along the lines ofscoring and the corner flaps are folded inwardly. The end flaps are then folded downwardly over the corner flaps and the tongues on said corner flaps are inserted into the slits in the end flaps. This insertion is made from the original backs or undersides of the end flaps. Each of the corner flaps is riveted or otherwise fastened at apoint 14 on its lower portion to the adjacentend wall of the box. In this position the parts are firmly interlocked. To collapse the box it is nierely necessary to exert pressure a ainst the ends thereof, in which case the si es of the box fold inwardly along their lines of scoring, while the ends of the box unfold or go back to their original positions in the blank except that the flaps thereon remain folded. In this operation the corner flaps fold inwardly along the lines of their diagonal scoring and their portions so folding bear against the end portion of the respective end flaps. The, end flaps and the locking tongues inserted therein'yield or spring sufli-.

ciently to permit the folding movement of the corner flaps. In order to again set up the box it is only necessary to turn up the ends thereof and to see that the end flap attains its proper position as the innermost member at the end of the box.

The construction above described constitutes the body of'the box, but it is understood that the lid or cover is formed in the same way, and the word box is intended to include the construction whether used as a body or a cover.

The blank of the box is in one piece which secures eheapness of manufacture. The end flaps are free, that is, they are not directly fastened to the end walls and hence have suflicient elasticity to permit of the collapsing of the box without breaking or injuring any ofthe parts. At the same time the lower portions of the corner flaps being fastened to the end walls and the tongues on said corner fla s being inserted in the slits of the end ap's form a sufiieiently strong locking device to hold the box in shape when set up.

What 'I claim is: 7

1. A folding box comprising a blank' scored longitudinally and transversely to form the side and end members and having -its corners scored diagonally, the endmost corner members being permanently fastened to the end members, and said end members having freeinfolded end flaps which are permanently secured tothe innermost portions of the permanently fastened corner members but are otherwise unfastened, whereby the box can be set up and colla sed without disengaging said end flaps F said corner members.

2. A folding box comprising a blank scored longitudinally and transversely to form side and end members and having its end portions slit in alinement with the longitudinal scorings to form corner flaps, whichcorner flaps are scored diagonally and have their endmost members permanently secured to the end members of the box, the endmost portions of said corners having to ues formed thereon, and said end members aving infolded end flaps that are provided rom with slits arranged to permanently engage said tongues, whereby said box may'--be set up and collapsed without disengaglng said tongues from said slits. v

3. .A folding box comprising a blank scored longitudinally and transversely to form the side and end members and having diagonally scored corner flaps at the ends" folded inwardly and having upwardly exnently secured to the end members, flaps on the end members arranged to fold inwardly over said corner flaps and having slits therein arranged to engage the tongues on said corner flaps, said end flaps being otherwise unfastened, whereby said box can be set up and collapsed without disengaging said tongues from said slits.

Signed at St. Louis, Mo., March 4, 1908.

'' FRANK H. HOUGLAND.

Witnesses:

I. SELIGsrEIN, J. B. MEGOWN. 

